Can You Get Sick From Traveling

The Gross Truth About Traveling

What you need to know before your next flight

The Gross Truth About TravelingWhat you need to know before your next flight

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If you usually trust orange juice and vitamin C pills to protect you from illness while traveling, you might need something a little stronger. According to new research presented last week at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston, disease-causing bacteria typically lingers on airplane surfaces for days, even up to a week.

In the study, which has yet to be published, researchers tested the ability of two types of bacteria that can lead to scary health problems—E. coli and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—to survive on six surfaces found in airplanes: armrests, plastic tray tables, metal toilet buttons, window shades, cloth seat pockets, and leather seats. After exposing the pathogens to airplane-like conditions, researchers found that MRSA survived longest on the seat-back pocket (seven days), while E. coli lasted longest on the armrest (four days).

Using sterilized pig skin to simulate human skin, the researchers tested the transfer rate of the bacteria to skin on each of the surfaces. Porous materials such as the seat-back cloth tend to trap bacteria in the small fibers of the fabric and therefore make it difficult for the bacteria to transfer to the skin, says study author Kiril Vaglenov, a graduate student at Auburn University. You’re more likely to transmit bacteria to your hands when you come in contact with flatter, less porous surfaces such as a plastic tray table or plastic window shade, says Vaglenov.

Another germ hotspot on a plane is the bathroom, says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona who was not involved in the study. There are usually about 50 to 75 people to a restroom on most planes, and over the course of a long flight, the sink and door handle can get pretty nasty.

Planes tend to be particularly germy because of the number of people who travel through them and a lack of proper cleaning between flights, says Gerba. "They turn planes over so fast, and there are no rules or requirements for disinfecting or cleaning airplanes," he says. "They pick up the litter, but they don't really disinfect [planes]."

Gross, yes—but that doesn't mean you have to cancel your summer vacation. Want to protect yourself on your next flight? Just follow these three tips from Gerba:

Use Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is your best line of defense, says Gerba, since most germs are picked up through direct contact. So make sure to bring hand sanitizer in your carry on and use it—especially before eating or after using the restroom.

Minimize Contact
Listening to someone cough during a long flight is stressful, but most viruses are actually transmitted through hand-to-face contact, says Gerba. So avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible. (Believe it or not, Gerba says adults do this an average of 16 times an hour!) If you must get handsy, make sure you use hand sanitizer beforehand.

Wipe Down Your Tray
"Everyone uses the trays to eat, drink, play cards," says Gerba. In other research, he found norovirus and flu bacteria on tray tables. Pack disposable disinfectant wipes so you can wipe down your tray before using it.